Dec 6 Hell truck

Logistics giant DHL has pre-ordered the Tesla electric truck unveiled last month. The new semi is slated for a 2019 rollout, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk promising up to a 500-mile range on a single charge.

DHL, which has already tested some of the semis working closely with Tesla, has placed an order for 10 trucks which it plans to test out on shuttle runs and for same-day customer deliveries. Also looking to trial the vehicles, which are expected to cost between $150,000 and $200,000, are Wal-Mart, JB Hunt Transport and Canada’s Fortigo Freight Services.

Questions remain as to whether Tesla can deliver this electric truck next year. "Between the Model 3 rollout, the gigafactory, the Semi and the Roadster – not to mention the upcoming Model Y and pickup, which Tesla also teased at the event – Tesla has its hands full for the next three years,” says Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker.

The company, which has yet to produce its electric cars in significant volume, is currently in ‘manufacturing hell’, according to research firm Loupventures, which points out that Tesla may not be able to ramp up production in a profitable way, and will eventually run out of money.